From winning Oscars to earning billions to making children cry – Pixar's capabilities are well known. But they're also the undisputed kings of the Easter egg - with references so sneaky and frequent that they make even Marvel look like rank amateurs in comparison.

1. 1995

The number 95 recurs throughout the Pixar films – it's Lightning McQueen's number in Cars, and can be seen in Toy Story 3 on the runaway train and on the T-shirt of one of the Sunnyside Daycare children. Why? Because 1995 was the year Pixar released its first feature, Toy Story.

2. Sid's rubbish career

The garbage collector in Toy Story 3 is Sid Phillips, the monster child from the first film. He is voiced by the same actor, Erik von Detten, and is even wearing an identical skull T-shirt. Sid mate, it might be time for a new wardrobe.

3. Read all about it

At the Incredible family dinner table, Bob reads a newspaper with the headline "Catastrophe Seen as Crisis Looms". A very headline appeared in director Brad Bird's earlier Warner Bros movie The Iron Giant, and before that on Jim Dear's newspaper in the 1955 Disney classic, Lady and the Tramp.

4. Pixar's hidden shorts pt 1

During Woody's moving announcement early in Toy Story, the books on the shelf behind him are named after Pixar's early short films, including The Adventures of André and Wally B, Red's Dream, Luxo, Jr, Tin Toy and Knick Knack.

5. Heeeeeeere's Woody

The Toy Story series is packed with references to a very un-family friendly movie, Stanley Kubrick horror classic The Shining. Sid's family shows some very interesting taste in interior decorating, as their carpet in the first film is straight out of the Overlook Hotel, and Toy Story 3 director Lee Unkrich is a big fan of the film, scattering the number 237 (as in the infamous Room 237) throughout his movie.

7. Pixar's hidden shorts pt 2

When Hamm is flicking through the TV stations in Toy Story 2 trying to find Woody's kidnapper, he speeds past a load of old Pixar shorts, including Red's Dream, Luxo, Jr, Tin Toy and Knick Knack. Blink and you'll definitely miss it.

8. Pixar goes back to its roots

The tree in A Bug's Life had a tragic future in store back in 1998. It's the same one that Jessie is left under in her Toy Story 2 flashback, and also sits on the hill that Ellie tries to climb before she is taken to hospital in Up. Sob.

9. Two out of nine old men

The two old men near the end of The Incredibles who praise the "old school" superheroics are Frank Thomas and Ollie Johnston, who were part of Walt Disney's go-to group of animators, the 'Nine Old Men'. Brad Bird also featured them in The Iron Giant.

10. Apple's iCar

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs was a key investor when Pixar broke away from parent company Lucasfilm. One of Lightning McQueens rival racing cars is decorated with the Apple logo and 84 – the year the first Mac computer was released – in Jobs's honour.

11. Tyred

There are some very familiar sounding tyre brands in the two Cars films. Maybe you prefer the Lightyear, or maybe Sector 4 Gamma Quads (another Buzz reference) are more to your taste? Failing that, can we interest you in a set of our Lassetyres?

15. All for the birds

16. Written in the stars

If you're paying very close attention to the opening shot of Toy Story 2, you might spot the famous Pixar desk lamp hidden as constellation in the night's sky. It's at the top of the screen, right of centre.

17. Pixar fried rice

Someone at Pixar clearly has a taste for Chinese, with takeout boxes (most with an identical or at least similar design) showing up in A Bug's Life, Monsters, Inc, Toy Story 2, Ratatouille and Inside Out.

19. Dentists: probably scarier than monsters

In the dentist's surgery in Finding Nemo there is a fish mobile and a drawing of a person on the wall. Both were seen before in Boo's room in Monsters, Inc. Maybe she traded them for some shiny new braces.